The New Year’s Resolutions You Better Not Make

Don't look back.

The new year is right around the corner, and whether you find New Year’s to be totally fun or totally overrated as a holiday (we know how polarizing the occasion can be), there’s bound to be at least some part of you that’s already thinking about what you’re going to do with this next chapter. You’re setting goals in almost every aspect of your life — you want to secure a new promotion, spend more time with your kids, get your body moving more frequently, or maybe just have a more positive attitude from day-to-day. And guess what? We’re right here with you, cheering you on as you seek to make these things happen.

But here’s a little truth bomb for you. Ready?

Not all New Year’s resolutions are created equal.

We’re all for goal-setting in all its forms, of course, but we also think there are some resolutions that may do a little more harm than good. If, for example, you’re setting your resolutions based on old insecurities or negativity, you’re probably not going to see a lot of success. Why? Because you’re only looking back.

And we don’t want you to look back.

We obviously don’t have final veto power on your resolutions (too much pressure!), but there are a few that we would suggest staying away from if you want to head into the new year looking straight ahead — and not at all behind. Check ’em out.

1. Lose weight. It’s one thing to commit to getting healthy and feeling better with a more balanced diet and consistent exercise routine, but we can’t stand by and let you allow a specific number on the scale to determine whether or not you’re being successful here. You’re better than that! Don’t let an old obsession with weight win. Focus on other factors that will make you feel healthy instead.

2. Stop being stressed. Resolving to “be less stressed” is pretty much setting yourself up for failure. Let’s face it — life is stressful, and it’s probably always going to be. Setting this as a goal is kind of a cop-out, because it doesn’t actually give you anything to do to reduce your stress. If stress and anxiety are big issues for you, consider instead breaking things down into more specific resolutions, like exercising, taking advantage of PTO, and spending more time with friends. You’ll find yourself wallowing less in the stress of years gone by and looking forward to the future more!

3. Quit confrontation. It’s not especially fun to be in conflict with people who are important to you, but you have a right — maybe even a responsibility — to speak your mind in certain situations. If you promise yourself that you’re going to give up confrontation entirely, you’re going to miss out on the opportunity to have seriously important conversations and to get some big issues off your chest. Maybe you’ve been burned by tough discussions in the past, but you can work on improving those communication skills and just do better down the road.

4. Rekindle old relationships. News flash: you don’t owe anyone your time or energy. If you’ve stepped away from the toxic relationships in your life, it may very well be for a good reason. Just because you feel weird about the whole thing doesn’t mean that those people are any less toxic or are any more deserving of a place in your inner circle. If you’re going to reconnect with old friends or family members, just make sure it’s for good reason.

5. Stop drinking, eating carbs, eating sugar, etc. Can we just say ugh? No! No, no, no. Eliminating any one thing from your life is probably only going to make you go over-the-top indulgent in other ways. We’re hardly the first ones to suggest that everything should just be in moderation, but, well, why not just try everything in moderation in the new year?

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